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common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Summary 2

Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow is native to most of the Northern Hemisphere - Asia, Europe, and North America and was once a highly regarded medicinal plant. It has flat-topped white flower heads and leaves so finely dissected that they have a feathery appearance.

Medicinal Properties 3

Yarrow is famously known for its ability to slow/stop bleeding, but it has many other useful properties. It is used for fever, common cold, hay fever, absence of menstruation, dysentery, diarrhea, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) tract discomfort, and to induce sweating.

When applied to skin it has been known to stop bleeding (sometimes used to stop bleeding from hemorrhoids, in a sitz bath it can be used to calm painful menstrual cramps and in combination with other herbs is used for GI problems.

Probable Locations 4

Common yarrow is common in mildly disturbed soils.

Herbal and traditional uses 5

A. millefolium has seen historical use as in traditional medicine, often because of its astringent effects. The herb is purported to be a diaphoretic, astringent, tonic, stimulant and mild aromatic. It contains isovaleric acid, salicylic acid, asparagine, sterols, and flavonoids. The genus name Achilles is derived from mythical Greek character, Achilles, who reportedly carried it with his army to treat battle wounds. This medicinal use is also reflected in some of the common names mentioned below, such as staunchweed and soldier's woundwort.

Traditional names for A. millefolium include arrowroot, bad man's plaything, bloodwort, carpenter's weed, death flower, devil's nettle, eerie, field hops, gearwe, hundred leaved grass, knight's milefoil, knyghten, milefolium, milfoil, millefoil, noble yarrow, nosebleed, old man's mustard, old man's pepper, sanguinary, seven-year's love, snake's grass, soldier, soldier's woundwort, stanchweed, thousand seal, woundwort, yarroway, yerw. The English name yarrow comes from the Saxon (Old English) word gearwe, which is related to both the Dutch word gerw and the Old High German word garawa.

Yarrow, known as Biranjasipha in sanskrit, is widely used in Ayurvedic medicines in India. It is known for its diaphoretic and carminative properties, and is added to multi herbal preparations used for gastrointestinal disorders.

Yarrow and tortoiseshell are considered to be lucky in Chinese tradition.

In classical Greece, Homer tells of the centaur Chiron, who conveyed herbal secrets to his human pupils, and taught Achilles to use yarrow on the battle grounds of Troy.

In the Hebrides a leaf held against the eyes was believed to give second sight.

The stalks are dried and used as a randomising agent in I Ching divination.

Yarrow and its North American varieties were traditionally used by many Native American nations across the continent. The Navajo historically considered it a "life medicine" and chewed the plant for toothaches and used its infusions for earaches. The Miwok in California use the plant as an analgesic and head cold remedy.

Common yarrow is used by Plains Indigenous peoples, such as the Pawnee, who use the stalk for pain relief. The Cherokee drink a tea of common yarrow to reduce fever and aid in restful sleep.

The occidentalis variety is used medicinally by the Zuni people. The blossoms and root are chewed and the juice applied before fire-walking or fire-eating. A poultice of the pulverized plant is mixed with water and applied to burns.

The Ojibwe people historically sprinkled a decoction of yarrow leaves on hot stones and inhaled it to treat headaches, as well as applied decoctions of the root onto skin for its stimulant effect. They also smoked its florets for ceremonial purposes, as well as placed them on coals and inhaled their smoke to break fevers.

It has also been used to treat hemorrhaging, as a poultice to ease rashes, and as a tea made from the leaves to cure stomach ailments.

Native American uses 5

Yarrow and its North American varieties were traditionally used by many Native American nations across the continent. The Navajo historically considered it a "life medicine" and chewed the plant for toothaches and used its infusions for earaches. The Miwok in California use the plant as an analgesic and head cold remedy.

Common yarrow is used by Plains Indigenous peoples, such as the Pawnee, who use the stalk for pain relief. The Cherokee drink a tea of common yarrow to reduce fever and aid in restful sleep.

The occidentalis variety is used medicinally by the Zuni people. The blossoms and root are chewed and the juice applied before fire-walking or fire-eating. A poultice of the pulverized plant is mixed with water and applied to burns.

The Ojibwe people historically sprinkled a decoction of yarrow leaves on hot stones and inhaled it to treat headaches, as well as applied decoctions of the root onto skin for its stimulant effect. They also smoked its florets for ceremonial purposes, as well as placed them on coals and inhaled their smoke to break fevers.

It has also been used to treat hemorrhaging, as a poultice to ease rashes, and as a tea made from the leaves to cure stomach ailments.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Steve Guttman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/24013640@N02/3683708823
  2. (c) The Preserve at Shaker Village, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/523530
  3. (c) charmingherbalist, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  4. (c) skramer16, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1161596
  5. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium

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